First Essential for a Powerful Brand: Clarity of Purpose

Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, defines a brand as “…what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” The words, images, thoughts or feelings someone has when they think of you and your business--that, in a nutshell, is your brand.

Think of your brand as your own bit of real estate in a landscape that’s perpetually habited by other--and often similar--products and services. Then think of branding as all the things you do to make your real estate stand out, so you’ll be the one to attract the desired clientele.

What strategy will give your brand that vital edge, the kind of staying power that keeps customers enticed, engaged and always coming back? In this series, we’ll be looking at seven vital branding components. First is Clarity of Purpose: Being absolutely clear about the who, what, how and why of your business.

• Marketing guru Simon Sinek encourages entrepreneurs to always start with why: “People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.” Why does your business exist? Why are you passionate about it? Why should clients care about you? “All organizations start with WHY, but only the great ones keep their WHY clear year after year,” Sinek explains.

• Who are you? If you’re a solo practitioner, making your own name part of your business and logo--and establishing yourself as an ‘authority’--are key. If you’re a business owner with staffers, determine what attributes best define your business--luxurious, wellness-based, innovative, and so on. Good branding means being 100% clear about who you are, whom you hope to attract, and what value you offer. Otherwise, how can clients/patients be clear about you--and, more importantly, buy from you?

• What exactly do you provide? Your name, taglines and descriptive copy should say it all, no need for guesswork. Consider a plastic surgeon with a tagline, “Surgical and Non-Surgical Procedures.” What does that mean? Dr. Jennifer Levine touts her services as, “Cosmetic Surgery and Beauty Procedures.” Perfectly clear!

• How do you convey your branding message? Make it part of your DNA: Each phone call, blog, social media post and personal interaction should reflect your brand and be a unique representation of you. That will help get people “talking about you when you’re not in the room”…and saying all the right things.